


can we pretend that we're in love?

by gossipgays



Series: dancing in the dark [3]
Category: Scream (TV)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Prequel, Sharing a Bed, drug abuse cw, implied emma/audrey, terminal illness cw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-28 20:24:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12614732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gossipgays/pseuds/gossipgays
Summary: “Thanks for coming over, I know it’s late,” Brooke told her.“It’s okay, I promise I wasn’t gonna get any sleep anyway,” Audrey replied, hands shoved into her back pockets."Can you stay?"ORA prequel covering the events immediately preceeding Dancing in the Dark, aka how Audrey first discovered that maybe Brooke Maddox wasn't so straight after all.





	can we pretend that we're in love?

**Author's Note:**

> hey what's up my dudes it's almost the anniversary of when we first published dancing in the dark so here's an early present for all our friends out there who still feel braudrey in this chili's tonight

The greatest part about surviving two separate murder sprees, by far, was the part where she could no longer fall asleep  _ nor  _ sleep through the night.

Sure, some people might think of it as a negative side-effect, but she had so much more time to herself now. Time to stare at the ceiling, scroll through social media anonymously, rethink all of her life choices and mull over what she could have done better…

Yeah, who really needed sleep, anyway.

It had been weeks since they put Kieran Wilcox away and just thinking about his stupid face was enough to send her blood pressure through the roof. She was still so angry sometimes it made her ears ring, and that certainly didn't help the whole not sleeping thing.

Audrey groaned as she heard her phone buzz on the night stand next to her. She probably should be silencing it at night, but she had a distinct fear that as soon as she turned it off someone would need to reach her in a life or death moment. What if it was Emma texting? Or Noah, or Brooke?

She reached for her phone.

_ [2:12] Scream Queen: are you awake? _

Audrey stared at the words for a second, brows furrowed, before she answered.

_ [2:13] Bi-curious: always. what's up? _

_ [2:13] Scream Queen: i can't sleep, the house is too big and empty _

_ [2:14] Scream Queen: can u come over? _

Audrey blinked at the message for a second, a little surprised. Maybe she shouldn't be, though. Brooke and Stavo had split not all that long ago, so she probably just didn’t have anyone else she could ask to keep her company. (Another side-effect of murder sprees: your two a.m. call list gets very weird, very fast.) The breakup itself had been civil, but that didn't mean Brooke didn't feel it.

_ [2:15] Bi-curious: yeah np gimme like 15 min _

It’s not like she was doing anything better, anyway. Audrey rolled out of bed and found a pair of jeans on her floor. She ran a hand through her hair for good measure, grabbed her jacket, and she was out her front door before Brooke had even replied back.

 

* * *

 

Of course, all of that self confidence had disappeared by the time Audrey found herself staring up at the large front door of Brooke’s house-slash-mansion. She couldn’t help but feel a little bit apprehensive about what was on the other side, even if she  _ knew  _ it was just Brooke and her massive house. Her big, empty house she had to live in all by herself more often than not, what with her mom always… out of town. It wasn’t hard to understand why Brooke might not like spending nights alone.

Audrey took a deep breath and reached up to knock on the door. It felt weird to knock on someone’s door so late, but a light in the upstairs window was proof Brooke must have been waiting for her. At least she hadn’t hallucinated that entire text exchange due to sleep deprivation.

The door swung open and Brooke appeared, relief spreading across her features as soon as she laid eyes on Audrey. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Audrey returned, smiling a little crookedly as she entered and closed the door behind her. “Everything okay?”

Brooke nodded, shrugging as she leaned against the entryway into the next room. She was wearing an old GWHS basketball t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts, and it was probably the most dressed-down Audrey had ever seen her outside of gym class. She still somehow managed to look ready for a photoshoot though, of course. “It was too quiet.”

“Yeah,” Audrey replied, sympathizing, especially as she peered through the dark, cavernous, looming hallways that led off into different sections of Brooke’s house. She felt a slight shudder roll down her spine at the thought of spending a night here by herself.

She peeled off her jacket as she followed Brooke deeper into the house, leading her to the large entertainment room where there was a big leather couch and a few armchairs arranged around the largest television she’d ever seen outside of a stadium or Best Buy. The pool table behind the couch and the small minibar in the corner (which only housed a fraction of the alcohol in this house, Audrey knew) completed the classic fun-yet-swanky aesthetic. Audrey had been here once before, but it felt much different when it wasn’t filled with people—almost too big and intimate for just the two of them. She took a deep breath and draped her jacket over one of the barstools before turning to Brooke. 

“Thank you for coming over. I know it’s late,” Brooke told her. She seated herself on the couch in front of the TV, turning to watch Audrey as she lurked awkwardly from the edge of the room.

“It’s okay, I promise I wasn’t gonna get any sleep anyway,” she said, hands shoved into her back pockets.

“Can you stay over?”

Audrey glanced up to find Brooke’s big brown eyes staring back at her, just a hair too vulnerable to be something Brooke intended. Brooke knew how to get what she wanted, and was more than willing to manipulate whoever she needed to do so, but she rarely risked showing anything  _ real.  _ (Audrey had been in enough life or death situations with the girl to be absolutely sure of that one.) Which meant….either Audrey was projecting what some small part of her had wanted to see since that party almost a year ago, or somehow she had found herself face to face yet again with the real human hiding underneath Brooke Maddox’s iron-clad facade. 

And, honestly? She wasn’t sure which option was more unsettling.

The second she blinked, all she could see was a normal, exhausted Brooke Maddox, flashing her overly exaggerated pleading puppy dog eyes. Still, though, how was Audrey supposed to say no after seeing something like that?

“Yeah, I’ll stay.”

Another sigh of relief escaped Brooke’s lips and she smiled. “Good. I thought we could watch a movie or something, so we don’t have to make small talk until one of us gives up.”

Audrey snorted. “Especially since the only thing we really have in common is, you know, our shared traumatic experiences, which don’t  _ really _ count as small talk.”

Brooke rolled her eyes, though in agreement or exasperation, Audrey wasn’t sure. “There’s tons of options on the shelves over there, just don’t pick anything gory.”

“You want  _ me  _ to pick?”

“Yeah,” Brooke replied, reaching around to pull over the big blanket that had been draped across the back of the couch. “Aren’t movies, like, your thing or whatever?”

“Sure, I just didn’t know you trusted me that much,” Audrey replied, smirking as she turned to examine one of the big cabinets standing on either side of the TV, filled to the brim with blu-ray cases. She tilted her head to glance at the spines, finding a selection that could have passed as required viewing for a Intro to Film class. She turned to Brooke and held up a copy of  _ GoodFellas _ , one eyebrow cocked. “I didn’t know you were a Scorsese fan.”

Brooke rolled her eyes. “Most of these were my dad’s. He liked to think of himself as a film buff or whatever, but I think he just bought everything off an IMDb list.”

“Well, you’re never gonna find the hidden gems that way,” Audrey smirked, reading the back of another case, the director’s cut of  _ Blade Runner. _ “These aren’t really what you want to watch, are they?”

“Does it matter? I told you to pick.”

“It usually improves the viewing experience when everyone involved actually  _ likes _ the movie they’re watching,” Audrey replied, starting to pull out movies to look at the second row behind the first. “These are all like mob movies and crime dramas.”

Brooke sighed, resting her head in one hand propped up on the armrest. “Who says I don’t like crime dramas? I thought  _ Philadelphia _ was great.”

“That’s a legal drama, not a crime drama,” Audrey pointed out, grinning. “Though, now that I think of it, legal drama as a genre does make sense for you.”

“What makes you say that?” Brooke asked, brows furrowing slightly.

Audrey shrugged, turning to face Brooke. “You’re smart as hell. A lot of those movies are like putting puzzles together.”

Brooke raised her eyebrows, a smile spreading across her features.

A blush started creeping up Audrey’s neck and she shook her head, opening her mouth to justify herself. “Look, I just mean–”

“Rom-coms, actually,” Brooke said, cutting her off. “It’s probably lame, or whatever, but I really like rom-coms. They’re the only ones I keep coming back to.”

Audrey grinned, feeling more at ease suddenly. “So where are you hiding your copy of  _ 13 Going on 30, _ then?”

Brooke released a sigh and pointed at the cabinet on the opposite side of the TV. “In the drawer, that’s where mine are.”

“I knew you were holding out on me, Maddox,” Audrey smirked, walking over to pull open the other cabinet. In the drawer Brooke had pointed out, there were dozens of movies with pink cover art and calligraphed titles. It was a chick flick jackpot.

Her eyes landed on one movie in particular and she pulled it out, turning to show Brooke. “Everyone loves  _ Mean Girls _ , right? Unless it reminds you too much of your time with Nina.”

Brooke rolled her eyes again (this time  _ definitely _ in exasperation), but scooched over on the couch to give Audrey room to sit next to her, so she took that as an affirmative. She quickly popped the blu-ray into the player and found her spot on the couch between Brooke and the armrest, gratefully taking Brooke’s offer to share the blanket.

At first, she didn’t really notice how close they were, instead focusing on watching the movie she hadn’t seen in ages. (So, maybe,  _ possibly, _ laying eyes on Janis Ian at eleven years old when she watched  _ Mean Girls _ for the first time at Emma’s house might have been a formative experience for her.) There came a point, however, when she suddenly realized just how close they were sitting to one another under a blanket in a darkened room. That was already bad enough, but the moment Brooke decided to lay her head against Audrey’s shoulder, she became hyper aware of every single point on her body that came into contact with Brooke’s. It was impossible not to, when every single one of those cells was  _ buzzing _ with something she was trying very, very hard not to identify.

It was one thing to suddenly find herself as a makeshift pillow for her very attractive but absolutely one-hundred-percent certified straight friend—it wasn’t as if she’d never found herself in that position before—but it was something else entirely to experience it while listening to Janis Ian yell about her big,  _ lesbian _ crush on Regina George before proceeding to throw herself into a crowd of teenagers. It was a little jarring, to say the least, and it felt like someone up there was playing a cruel practical joke on her. (Which,  _ rude _ , she was pretty sure the last year should have covered dark celestial humor for the rest of her life.)

But, it was fine. Audrey wasn’t some kind of animal, or  _ man _ , beholden to her baser instincts; she could control herself around attractive girls. She thought about nudging Brooke awake, especially since the movie was almost over, but stopped when she realized it could have been ages since Brooke had been able to take advantage of a good night’s rest. God knew Audrey hadn’t been able to get any kind of restful sleep herself in months. Besides, Brooke looked so peaceful, and it was pleasantly warm under the blanket and her hair smelled so good–

_ Fuck _ .

 

* * *

 

Audrey awoke to the sensation of someone else’s arm digging ever so slightly into her side, which meant she must have fallen asleep at some point. Though, considering how body heat had always put her right to sleep, she really should not have been so surprised.

She groaned and rubbed her eyes, stretching a kink out of her neck.

“Audrey?” She heard a mumble next to her as its accompanying weight lifted off her body, and Audrey peeled open her eyes to find Brooke staring back at her.

“Uh,” Audrey replied eloquently, blinking back at Brooke. She decidedly ignored the uncomfortable twinge that echoed the chill of goosebumps tracing where Brooke’s body used to be. “Morning?”

“God, what time is it?” Brooke asked, reaching across Audrey for her phone on the end table next to her. “What time did I fall asleep?”

“You didn't make it even make it through the movie. I think you passed out around the time Tina Fey assembled everyone in the gym to ‘ _ talk things out _ ’,” Audrey told her, a small smirk on her face.

“And you didn't wake me?” came Brooke’s immediate response, scolding her. “You slept in  _ jeans _ . I could have gotten you something to wear, you know, and you can't have slept well sitting up straight all night.”

“It's fine, it’s not a big deal,” Audrey assured, shaking her head. “You said yourself you've been having trouble sleeping, I thought it was better to let you rest.”

“That’s… really sweet of you, Audrey,” replied Brooke, a fond smile on her lips counterbalancing the rest of her expression, which clearly conveyed that she thought Audrey was an idiot. “But next time, please wake me up so I can at least grab a pair of shorts for you, and we can move so  _ both _ of us can get a decent night’s sleep. It's too late now, because we have school in, oh, an hour and a half.”

“Shit, I almost forgot,” Audrey swore, reaching for her own phone so she could glance at the time. It was well after five, and her dad was usually up by six. “I have to get back home before my dad wakes up, he’s always up early.”

“Yeah, okay,” Brooke nodded, attempting to fix her hair, which was entirely unnecessary if it was for her benefit. It didn't even look bad, just a little messy. It was kind of cute.

She needed to stop thinking like that.

“I'll, uh… see you at school?” Audrey asked, slipping out from under the blanket so she could go grab her jacket from the bar.

“Of course,” Brooke agreed, smirking at her over the back of the couch. “Maybe put on just a little concealer under your eyes, though.”

Audrey laughed and rolled her eyes, pulling on her jacket. “Thanks for the tip.”

“Anytime. And Audrey?”

She stopped at the doorway, turning back to Brooke. “Mm?”

“Maybe you can come over again sometime. Tonight, if you want. This was nice.”

For a split second, it sounded like some kind of… proposition. Which was  _ ridiculous _ . Brooke was  _ straight _ . There couldn't possibly be any illicit intentions behind that. She just wanted a friend to keep her company in a big empty house, it was completely understandable.

Audrey blinked, suddenly remembering Brooke expected some kind of response. “Uh yeah, I think I can work something out.”

“Great, I'll see you later, then.” Brooke replied, still smiling pleasantly at Audrey.

“Great,” Audrey huffed, and she turned back to the doorway. “See you in a couple of hours, I guess.”

On her way home, Audrey couldn’t decide who she was more furious with. Herself, for somehow managing to start down this road  _ again _ . Or Brooke, for inviting her over, letting her pick the movie, cuddling up to her on the couch, having the gall to smell so damn good–

Well, okay, she couldn’t really blame Brooke for any of that. Which, of course, just left the usual suspect: herself.

(Though, shit, if she didn’t know better, she could’ve sworn it was Brooke flirting with  _ her _ this time.)

She’d pray for a distraction to end her series of crushes on her straight best friends, but the last time she tried that, all she got was a town-wide murder spree. And that didn’t even  _ work _ , so.

Honestly,  _ fuck _ high school.

 

* * *

 

Audrey took Brooke up on her offer later that weekend for another late movie night, and then found herself agreeing again. By the time a week had passed, they were on their fourth movie date, and the whole thing had finally started to become less incredibly weird.

This time, they were watching  _ John Tucker Must Die _ , a movie Audrey would rather die than admit to owning on iTunes, nor did she offer anything in response when Brooke declared she had picked it out because, quote, “Two girls make out in this one, so it has something for both of us.”

She also barely  _ breathed  _ in the three-minute timespan when the aforementioned make-out showed up.

As the credits started rolling, Audrey stretched a little before starting to settle down on the couch. Brooke had asked her to stay the night the other handful of times she’d been over as well, and Audrey didn’t mind keeping her company. She just had to get past the severe crisis she experienced every time Brooke inevitably asked her if she wanted to sleep in her bed instead of on the couch all night.

But the truth was, though the couch was great for watching movies, it was  _ awful _ for sleeping and even worse when trying to fit two people. (Brooke always insisted on staying with her, for whatever reason.) She’d gotten a cramp in her neck bad enough to last the entire day every morning she’d woken up after sleeping over.

So when Brooke asked her once more to stay, and that,  _ really, _ she didn’t mind sharing her bed, Audrey hesitated to tell her no again.

“C’mon, Audrey,” Brooke insisted, “I promise it won’t be weird. It’s a huge bed so you probably won’t even know I’m there. Besides, don’t think I haven’t noticed you keep rubbing your neck all the time.”

Audrey opened her mouth to try and argue, but the only argument she could think of was how there was no way she could forget about Brooke sharing the same bed as her, since she had become hyper-aware of Brooke’s presence ever since she’d discovered what it felt like to wake up curled up against her. But she didn’t— _ couldn’t _ —say that.

Brooke stood and held out her hand expectantly. “I’m pretty sure you won’t jump me in the middle of the night.”

“Okay, okay,” Audrey finally relented, decidedly ignoring the cries of protest coming from her better judgment. She took Brooke’s hand, and between the firm grip and huge grin on Brooke’s face as she led Audrey upstairs, she could feel herself being lulled into a false sense of security.

But that quickly dissipated once Audrey was actually in Brooke’s bed, wearing just a pair of Brooke’s shorts and the tank top she’d had on underneath her flannel. Her head hit the pillow and her lungs filled with the scent of Brooke, her shampoo, her perfume. It was overwhelming.

Audrey realized, belatedly, that she had made a huge mistake.

“So…” Audrey said, clearing her throat as she stared up at the ceiling. She tried to think of something to say that could possibly ease the tension in her gut. “Is this like a slumber party or something? You gonna tell me about all the cute boys at school?”

Brooke laughed, turning onto her side to face Audrey. “I mean, if you want. But it's not like Lakewood has a surplus in the bangable guys department.”

“It’s not like there were ever that many to begin with.”

“Yeah, maybe for  _ you.” _

“Hey, I think guys can be... bangable. Sometimes,” Audrey protested, turning her head to make a face at Brooke. “I mean, I guess. It’s usually when they start talking that they lose any sliver of appeal they may have had to start.”

Brooke watched Audrey curiously. “Yeah, I think I get that.”

Audrey raised her eyebrows, but declined follow up. Instead, she turned onto her side to face Brooke.

“We could talk about cute girls instead,” Brooke offered helpfully, a grin pulling at her lips.

“Oh god,” Audrey shook her head, laughing. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that conversation yet.”

“You don’t have anything to be ashamed of,” Brooke replied immediately, shaking her head. “Especially not with me. You and I have been through way too much for something silly like that to come between us.”

Audrey propped herself up on one elbow, peering over at Brooke as she tried to formulate a response. It wasn’t that she was ashamed, but she and Brooke have never really talked about this. She hadn’t discussed this kind of thing with anyone, really, aside from Noah. And Rachel.

“You trust me, don’t you?”

“Of course I trust you, Brooke,” came Audrey’s quick response. It wasn’t even a question for her. “It’s not that. I guess I’m just not used to talking about it.”

“Can I ask you something?”

She felt exposed, vulnerable, but she hadn’t been lying when she said she trusted Brooke. There was something about the way Brooke’s big brown eyes gazed back at her that made her feel at ease, like she was safe here. She finally nodded wordlessly, readying herself for whatever Brooke was about to say.

“Did you always know you liked girls?” Brooke asked her. She examined Audrey curiously, on her side with her arm tucked under her head.

Audrey dropped her gaze, fighting the urge to hide her face even though she’d been expecting something along these lines.

“Well, I mean,” Audrey started, trying to find the right words. “I’m not sure if I would have even called it that at the time.”

“What do you mean?”

She furrowed her brows, licking her lips in order to stall for time. “I didn’t think that hard about it. I just knew girls gave me a kind of warm feeling, in a way boys never did. Well, mostly just one girl, at first.”

“Emma.”

Audrey huffed a small, humorless laugh, a little embarrassed. “I was never good at hiding it, not that she ever noticed.”

“Emma never notices when someone likes her,  _ trust me,” _ Brooke laughed. She propped her head up on her elbow and rolled her eyes. “If Will hadn’t outright told her it was a date when he asked her out she probably would have never figured it out. She said she thought he was just being nice, or whatever. You shouldn’t beat yourself up about it.”

“Yeah,” Audrey shrugged, looking away. “It's not that easy, though. Figuring out you like girls, I mean. When I met Rachel I was still trying to untangle a lot of that. Still am, probably. She was the first girl I ever–”

She stumbled over her words, unable to finish her sentence. Even after everything that had happened, Rachel still had a way of stopping her in her tracks.

Brooke reached for her hand, squeezing it gently.

Audrey had to swallow the lump in her throat before she could continue, but she didn’t let go of Brooke’s hand. “Anyway, it’s… complicated. It feels like you have to fight against the world just for being you. I mean, I guess everyone feels that way in middle school, but for me it almost feels deliberate. Like, god forbid I'm ever allowed to like a girl, much less date one.”

“Well,” Brooke replied, edging herself just a little closer. “I promise you don’t have to fight against me.”

Audrey furrowed her brows as she stared at Brooke, trying to decipher the meaning behind that, if any. She  _ definitely _ shouldn’t read too much into it, that would be… a waste of time at best, but it was much more likely to be utterly disastrous.

Brooke was straight.

“Thank you for telling me,” Brooke said quietly, settling against her pillow. She still hadn’t taken her hand back.

Brooke closed her eyes, and Audrey couldn’t be sure exactly how long she took to fall asleep, but the length and curl of Brooke's eyelashes was the last thing she remembered before sleep finally took over.

 

* * *

 

It had been a little over two weeks since they started—whatever this had become, and Audrey had found herself in Brooke’s bed sleeping a comfortable distance away from her on at least half a dozen occasions. They were relatively short occasions, usually. (Thankfully.) She rarely arrived before ten, since she had to wait for her dad to fall asleep to sneak out, and most mornings ended early when she had to sneak back in before her dad woke up. But this morning he’d flown to Boston to be with her mom for some big test that was supposed to gauge how well the treatments were going. Apparently, her mom was doing better, and if all the results came back looking good, she might be allowed to come home soon.

It felt like she was on the edge of some life-changing cliff. She couldn’t really stop thinking about it  _ completely _ , but her dad had warned her they probably wouldn't get the final results until tomorrow. So, for now, she had the night free to herself, and that meant she didn’t have to wait until nearly midnight to show up on Brooke’s doorstep. Brooke even offered to pay for takeout, something that Audrey was extremely grateful for. She would have just ended up going to Taco Bell, otherwise, and takeout Chinese from the better of the two Asian places in town definitely ranked as an improvement.

After finishing up a shared plate of mu shu pork, they were just about to pop in another movie for the night when Audrey’s phone started ringing.

Audrey pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced at the front of it, a little confused as to why someone would be calling so late—until she read the name on her caller ID.

“Uh, hey,” Audrey said to Brooke, inching toward the door. “Sorry, it’s my dad. This’ll only take a minute.”

“No worries, I can get the movie all set up,” Brooke replied with a small shrug.  _ “Easy A _ and I will still be here for you when you're done.”

Audrey tossed her a grateful smile as she answered her phone and pressed the receiver to her ear. “Hey, Dad, is everything okay?”

_ “Audrey,” _ she heard her dad sigh.  _ “I know it's late, I'm sorry. Are you home?” _

“I had dinner at the Foster’s,” Audrey replied hastily, it was a much easier explanation than the truth. “Why, what's going on?”

_ “Maybe you should sit down.” _

Panic cut through her like a knife to the gut. She’d made it to Brooke’s living room, but she hardly felt like sitting. She settled for pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. “Dad, what’s that supposed to mean?”

_ “Honey, it's gonna be okay. I promise, we’re gonna take care of your mom.” _

He didn't sound at all convinced by his own words, and she started to feel a little lightheaded as fear rose into her chest. “The tests came back bad, didn’t they?”

_ “The cancer is spreading. It's in her liver now and the doctor said that means we need to double down on treatments,” _ her dad explained. His tone was even, rehearsed. He could have passed as some kind of emotionless alien from Vulcan. She couldn't stand it.

“I want to talk to Mom,” she demanded, her voice wavering. She did her best to copy his even tone, but she wasn't nearly as practiced as he was.

_ “She’s resting. The doctor showed us the test results as soon as they came in and then your mother and I prayed. But she needs to rest, now more than ever.” _

Audrey very nearly threw her phone, but just managed to stop herself when she remembered where she was. There was a good chance everything in this room was very fragile and worth more than her entire house. Smashing some kind of generations-old Maddox family heirloom was the last thing she needed right now.

_ “We’ll call you tomorrow, I promise.” _

She took in a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. She clenched her jaw so tight she thought her teeth might crack, but it kept her from crying. “Okay.”

_ “I'm sorry, honey.” _

“I guess this means we’re not bringing her home,” Audrey sighed, finally sitting in one of the nearby chairs.

_ “Not yet, but that doesn't mean never. I have faith God can still see us through this.” _

It took every inch of her self-control not to lash out at her dad, to snap back that those words did basically nothing to comfort her. “So I'll talk to you both tomorrow, then.”

_ “I promise. I'm also going to be staying for a few more days, so maybe ask Mrs. Foster if she can host you for another night or two. Or I can call her myself, if that’s easier for you.” _

“No, it's okay, I'll ask her,” Audrey replied quickly, glancing down the hallway that led back to where Brooke still waited for her in the other room. “But I've gotta go, I've still got some homework left.”

_ “Okay, I'll talk to you later. Goodnight, Audrey.” _

“‘Night, Dad.”

Audrey ended the call and stared down at her phone, cradling her head in one hand. 

Her mom was supposed to be getting  _ better _ .

But she couldn't dwell on it now. Brooke was waiting for her and they were supposed to watch a dumb movie, so maybe she could use that to distract herself. At least she wouldn't have to spend the whole night alone and left to her own anxiety-ridden devices.

She ran her hands down her face and rubbed the moisture from her eyes before finally standing up again. She didn't want Brooke to worry that something might be wrong—or worse, ask about it—so she'd just have to do her best to be her normal,  _ charming  _ self.

“Hey, sorry about that,” Audrey said as she entered the entertainment room again, barely giving Brooke more than a glance before she sank into the couch next to her. “We gonna watch this movie, or what?”

Brooke furrowed her brows at Audrey. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. We should just probably start the movie because getting late, right?”

“...It is,” Brooke agreed, maintaining her laser-focused gaze on Audrey. “I thought your dad would already be asleep. Is something up?”

Audrey breathed out a big sigh, disappointed in herself for obviously letting on too much. Either she wasn’t as good at playing it cool as she thought, or Brooke was just far too good at picking up on bullshit. (Maybe a little of both.)

“It’s… It’s just my mom. She’s fine, but they’re gonna have to do more treatments,” she finally mumbled, avoiding Brooke’s eyes. She had been doing a fairly good job of keeping it together up to this point and didn’t want to mess that up now. “It’s fine though, I swear.”

“Oh, _ Audrey.” _

Before she could say anything more, Brooke already had her arms looped around her shoulders to pull her against her chest, and she felt an immediate pressure prickling behind her eyes in response.

“Audrey, that’s… I’m so sorry,” Brooke murmured. Audrey could feel her breath on her neck, and under different circumstances she might be much more intrigued by it, but right now she was busy trying to figure out what to do with this sudden onslaught of genuine support. “Weren’t things supposed to be getting better? I thought I heard you mention something to Emma about her maybe coming back home.”

Audrey had to take another deep breath, her eyes squeezed shut to keep anything akin to tears at bay. She had her cheek pressed hard against Brooke’s neck and if she could just stay right here, in this frozen pocket of time, that would be perfectly fine with her. 

“She’s… My dad said she’s gonna be okay,” she finally replied, hating how much her voice trembled. Maybe Brooke wouldn’t notice it, but that was probably a vain hope. “It’s just going to take more time before she can come home, that’s all. It’s fine.”

Brooke slowly ran fingers through the back of Audrey’s hair, smoothing it at the nape of her neck as she held her tight. She wasn’t loosening her grip, perhaps allowing Audrey to keep a sliver of her dignity by not making her look up. “It sucks, doesn’t it? When your mom can’t be here.”

It could have broken bones, how hard the sudden realization hit that maybe Brooke understood a little of what she felt. Brooke’s mom wasn’t—hadn’t been here either. Air deflated from her lungs in a long, shuddering breath, and she curled her fingertips into the fabric of Brooke’s shirt just to help her hold on. “Yeah. Yeah it really sucks.”

“Kind of feels like someone’s stealing time from you,” Brooke continued in a soft voice. “Time you should be getting, time you deserve to have with someone you love. It’s not fair.”

Audrey couldn’t speak anymore, she could feel her cheek was wet against Brooke’s neck but she couldn’t make a sound. All she could grasp onto was the sound of her own breathing and Brooke’s voice, and the feeling of fingers in her hair.

“It’s the worst kind of injustice, because who can you blame?” With every word Brooke uttered, she slowly ran her palm over Audrey’s back, drawing a line up her spine. “There’s no boogeyman. There’s no bad guy to point a finger at, it’s just something that…  _ happens _ . It feels senseless, I know. And maybe everything is going to be okay and maybe she’ll be able to come home sooner than they think, but that doesn’t stop it from sucking right now.”

Audrey shook her head, choking down a sob.

“I really love my mom, you know. Of course,” Brooke sighed, leaning her head against Audrey’s. “I think there’s something special about moms. We used to be close, when I was little. She was always finding something new and exciting to try. We went on shopping trips, and hiking trips, and she took me to all of these crazy weird places, and every once in awhile she’d wake me up early on Saturday so she could take me to the local synagogue.”

“Your mom’s Jewish?” Audrey muttered, her voice muffled in Brooke’s shoulder.

“I know, right? Little known fact. My grandparents are  _ way  _ more into it than she ever was, but every six months like clockwork she’d ‘rediscover her roots’ and for a week straight we’d be the most traditional Jewish family in Lakewood. Me and mom would, anyway.” Brooke let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “I remember this one time my mom spent a whole day going through our fridge and throwing away everything that wasn’t kosher. She tossed this crazy expensive prosciutto my dad bought for a dinner party they were supposed to throw and he totally flipped. He tried to time purchases of pork products a little better after that.”

Audrey didn’t think she’d ever heard Brooke talk about her mom like this. Hell, Audrey had only ever seen her mom in person a handful of times, and almost not at all in recent years. She had no idea when she’d even been home last.

“After she checked into rehab, we could eat all the ham we wanted.” Brooke let out another laugh, but this one didn’t have a hair of humor in it.

_ “Brooke,” _ Audrey whispered, tightening her arms around Brook’s small frame.

“I know it’s not the same,” Brooke replied, shaking her head. She pulled back a little, finally, her hands on either side of Audrey’s face. “I just didn’t want you to feel alone.”

Audrey nodded, at a total loss for words. She was… grateful, of course, but she also wanted to dive into a hole six feet down to hide. She still couldn’t quite meet Brooke’s eyes, even though they were just as red as hers.

She felt Brooke press a kiss to her forehead, lingering for what felt like both far too long and not nearly long enough. When she pulled back, Audrey leaned her head against Brooke’s shoulder again and lifted her hand in a weak attempt to wipe her eyes.

“Do you still want to watch the movie?”

Audrey shrugged. She didn’t have any especially strong feelings for  _ Easy A _ aside from appreciating Emma Stone’s existence, but that wasn’t really much of a draw for her right now.

“We can just go to bed instead?” Brooke offered, reaching to tilt Audrey’s chin up.

She found Brooke’s eyes for the first time since getting off the phone with her dad, and the warmth and concern in them wrapped around Audrey like a blanket. She didn’t know what to do with it. It twisted up and held her like a cocoon, almost like it was suffocating her, even as she sank into it.

But it wasn’t pity.

Audrey nodded, swallowing a hard lump in her throat.

“Okay,” Brooke said, running her hands up and down Audrey’s arms, rubbing warmth into them.

She took Audrey’s hand and tugged her all the way upstairs into her bedroom. They both dressed for bed in silence and when Audrey slipped under the covers, she felt Brooke’s arms wrapping around to pull her close once again.

Audrey closed her eyes and breathed her in, the scent of her skin mingling with expensive perfume and whatever detergent Brooke used for her sheets. It was a combination that was starting to become familiar to her, and it lulled her to a sweet sleep that kept rhythm to the sound of Brooke’s heartbeat against her ear.

 

* * *

 

It became a thing. Kind of. Not necessarily any more frequent than it was before, but Audrey had given up even pretending to resist when Brooke invited her up to her bed on the nights she was there. Audrey was  _ almost _ getting used to waking up with her arms around Brooke’s waist and her nose tucked against her neck.

Each morning the light shone through Brooke’s large windows and washed both them and the room in soft light, giving everything an air of peace and contentedness. Even Brooke, who was normally all steel nerves and lipstick, instead looked like some kind of hazy Degas painting. Like the ballerinas. Audrey was almost scared she would ruin it just by existing in the same space. 

And Audrey still didn’t know what any of this  _ meant _ . She had been so certain about the box she’d sorted Brooke into, but now she was starting to feel silly for thinking she could put Brooke in a box in the first place. It wasn’t as if Brooke had made a move or anything, and maybe she never would, but it was getting hard to be so sure she was the only one under Brooke’s roof who went to sleep with the sense that some kind of ever-tightening thread was tying them together.

But even if she wasn’t straight, it still didn’t mean Brooke wanted something like  _ that _ with her.

At the very least, Audrey was much more well-rested ever since they’d started these sleepovers. The dark circles under her eyes were starting to lighten and she found she could actually pay attention in class. That wasn’t to say things were perfect now, but they were definitely better. And at least there was a comforting warmth next to her on the nights she continued her weary battle with her nightmares.

Like tonight, for instance.

Audrey jerked awake in a panic, sitting up straight with wild eyes and panting for breath. What felt like every inch of her skin was bathed in sweat.  _ “Fuck.” _

“Audrey…” Brooke groaned, stirring next to her.

The drowsy rasp in Brooke’s voice immediately grounded her back in reality, and she leaned over to set her hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, it’s okay. I just had a nightmare.”

“Are you alright?” Brooke asked, rubbing her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Audrey insisted, shaking her head. “It wasn’t anything new, just my brain replaying the greatest hits of the past year.” (The ones featuring Brooke tied up and bleeding out in a freezer had become  _ especially _ frequent, for some completely indiscernible reason.)

Brooke furrowed her brows, reaching for Audrey’s hand on her shoulder. “God, you’re sweating. It must’ve been–”

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Audrey interrupted, looking down at herself. Her tank top was practically soaked, and it clung to her like plastic wrap. She pulled away from Brooke, dragging herself out of bed. “I should probably change.”

“Audrey, it’s…”

If Brooke had been about to protest, her words trailed off and vanished once Audrey’s shirt was over her head, which Audrey might not have even noticed if she hadn’t heard the small gasp that followed. She turned to Brooke, not sure what to expect

What she  _ definitely  _ didn’t expect to see was Brooke now sitting up in bed with parted lips and eyes unwaveringly studying the length of her torso. Her breath was noticeably shallow and it was almost like she was in some kind of trance.

“Brooke?” Audrey murmured, afraid to break the silence.

Brooke pulled herself onto her knees and edged toward her on the bed, putting herself within arm’s length. She reached out to touch her hand to Audrey’s waist, sending a current through Audrey’s body so unexpected, her knees almost buckled. Then Brooke’s other hand joined the first in a slow stroke down either side of Audrey’s waist, thumbs tracing along the lines of her hips.

Audrey released a tiny gasp, her eyes locked on Brooke’s bottom lip, which she now held firmly between her teeth. “Brooke… What are y–”

“Don’t,” Brooke cut her off, finally looking up to find Audrey’s eyes. “Don’t say anything.”

To say Audrey wasn’t ready for Brooke’s lips—her soft, pink mouth that pressed against hers like apricot skin—would be incorrect. Audrey was  _ ready _ for this, had been thinking about it for weeks now. She just wasn’t prepared for it to actually happen.

It was a test, a toe across the line, and Audrey fought the urge to yank Brooke back when she pulled away after that single kiss left her shaking with adrenaline. Instead, she unthinkingly followed her back, lips still parted, unwilling to let Brooke pull so far away that she couldn’t still feel the heat of breath on her lips.

When Brooke pressed forward again, Audrey met her kiss with the fervor she’d been keeping at bay ever since that first night in Brooke’s bed. It had been gathering in her like kindling over the past few weeks—maybe even before that—waiting for a spark. She reached up to clutch Brooke’s face in her hands, her knees hitting the edge of the bed as she pressed close enough to feel Brooke’s cotton t-shirt on the bare skin of her stomach.

Audrey stole Brooke’s gasps, the breathless notes from the back of her throat, and gave them back in sacred offering. Brooke had her nails digging into Audrey’s skin now, marking her ribs with perfect half-moons, and when she felt the press of Brooke’s tongue against hers, Audrey answered with an errant whimper.

Kissing Brooke was like holding onto an electric fence. Or maybe it was more like a life-saving shock that pulled her back from the brink of darkness. She couldn’t let go and she couldn’t get enough, and color and light bludgeoned its way back into her senses with every biting kiss. Audrey didn’t speak, she didn’t fight it, and instead she clutched onto Brooke like a raft in open water.

Brooke pulled her back into bed and pressed Audrey onto her back, against the pillows. She settled over her, pulling away from Audrey’s lips and staring down at her, short of breath. She slowly reached for the edge of her own shirt, pulling it over her head as Audrey watched in shock.

_ “Brooke,” _ Audrey gasped, sitting up on her elbows, her eyes wide. “W-wait, are you sure about this?”

Brooke cocked an eyebrow at her in answer, pulling the shirt the rest of the way over her head. Audrey was suddenly confronted with the  _ visible _ proof that Brooke didn’t sleep in a bra. Her skin gleamed in the dim light that shone through the window, highlighting every delicate detail. 

Aren’t you?”

Whatever Audrey had been about to say, she choked on her words.

Brooke leaned closer and slowly nudged her nose to Audrey’s. “Do you want to stop?”

Audrey’s mouth hung open as she stared, watching dumbfounded as Brooke tossed away the discarded shirt like it was nothing. Brooke brushed her lips over Audrey’s for half a second, just enough to taste her before she threatened to pull away. A small whine of a moan escaped Audrey's throat in protest, and she sat up, following Brooke’s retreat as she reached to grasp onto her waist and drop her lips to the top of Brooke’s chest.

Brooke cradled Audrey’s head in her hands, against her chest, gasping as Audrey gently bit and sucked at her skin. Audrey covered every inch she could reach, pressing kisses and leaving bruises on her collar, determined to sear into memory the taste of Brooke’s smooth, silver-lit skin. She gripped Brooke’s hips tightly, pushing them against her own, anything to chase relief for the deep ache settling between her legs.

_ “Audrey,” _ Brooke breathed. She dropped her hands to Audrey’s bra, hurriedly pulling it off of her. As soon as it was gone, Audrey pressed close to Brooke’s chest, catching her lips, anything to distract herself from the inevitable fireworks that lit up her brain as her nipples brushed against Brooke’s bare chest. Just as she was convinced she was going to  _ implode _ , just from this, she managed to clutch at Brooke’s hips again and roll her over, catching a single moment of relief as she broke off the kiss to help Brooke out of her shorts and underwear.

She took the opportunity to kick off her own as well, anything to prolong the moment and give her a chance to regain some semblance of control over her stuttering heartbeat and rapidly deteriorating fear of what would come in the morning. Unfortunately, what little clothing she had left didn’t last long, and she finished only to glance up and find Brooke watching her unwaveringly, her deep brown eyes almost completely blown out with lust in the darkness of the room. That was all it took for the aching  _ hunger _ in her gut to roar back to life, and drive her forward into Brooke’s arms once more.

This time, when she settled against Brooke under the covers, she let her knee rest lightly between Brooke’s legs. She leaned her forehead against Brooke’s, still holding her gaze, trying to focus on the unbelievable sharpness of her senses. The only thing somehow more terrifying than this actually  _ happening _ was the thought she might wake up to find that it was all just some strange twist of her dreams. But when she closed her eyes and pressed her lips forward to Brooke’s in a leap of faith, she found only Brooke herself, tangible and welcoming.

And this time, it was Brooke who broke off their kiss to gasp. “I want you,” Brooke mumbled against her lips, hasty. Her hand gripped the back of Audrey’s neck like a lifeline, holding her ever closer but still not close enough. She tilted her hips upward, moaning quietly when she found friction against Audrey’s leg.

Audrey released a slow groan and pressed her own hips to the top of Brooke’s thigh. Heat immediately bloomed in her abdomen in eager response and she squeezed her eyes shut, clutching onto Brooke’s waist. Seconds later, she felt unexpected teeth on her earlobe, her eyes flying open to match Brooke’s gaze once more as Brooke lifted her knee to give her a better angle.

“C’mon,” Brooke whispered, her voice rough as sandpaper. Brooke’s voice was liquid sex at the best of times, unhelpfully distracting her during math tests or serious conversations outside of coffeehouses. Nevermind hearing Brooke like  _ this, _ as she clutched onto the back of her neck and thrust herself against Audrey’s thigh; every syllable sent her closer to a spontaneous orgasm as Brooke’s voice husked in her ear. “I want to feel you.”

Audrey involuntarily rocked her hips against the top of Brooke’s thigh again, biting down hard on her bottom lip as the ache only deepened. It was just enough to let her feel something, but not nearly enough to  _ get  _ anything more. She wanted more, needed something  _ more  _ before she burst. All she could produce to convey this information, however, was a ragged, pleading cry as Brooke clasped onto her hips to pull her knee harder against her own.

But Brooke, as always, could read her face like a book, and shifted and pulled away just enough to let her hand slip between them and press against slick, welcoming skin. She found little friction, and now they were both aware how desperately Audrey wanted this, even as she trembled and nearly fell against Brooke at the contact.

“Brooke,  _ christ.” _ At least this time she had managed words somehow, planting a hand on the bed next to Brooke’s shoulder just so she could keep herself aloft.

A bright smile rewarded her effort as Brooke drew a tight circle around her already-hardened nub.

Audrey let out a hiss and her hips bucked forward, into Brooke’s hand. This certainly qualified as  _ more _ , but at such an agonizing pace it was like she was being strung up on a rack and slowly pulled in opposite directions.

“Tell me,” Brooke whispered, her lips to the edge of Audrey’s ear. “Tell me what you want.”

What did she want? Fuck, Audrey probably couldn’t even tell Brooke her own name, right then. Her whole body was taught as a rope and vibrating with hungry anticipation. She breathed hard, futilely attempting to kickstart her brain again despite Brooke Maddox’s insistent hand against her clit.

“Audrey,” Brooke prodded again, reaching up with her free hand to cup her cheek, the other still pulling across her front in a lazy pattern. “C’mon, I want you to tell me.”

Audrey  _ whined. _ Every single one of her senses was on fire and she could hardly tell where she began and Brooke ended, save for the hot iron brand that was Brooke’s fingertips on her cunt. She tilted her hips forward again, searching out more friction, more heat.

Brooke stopped her hand, sending another agonizing shudder through Audrey’s body. “No, say it. Say it for me.”

God,  _ fuck _ . “On me,” Audrey finally shuddered, not even sure if her tongue was working properly.  _ “In _ me, fuck I don’t  _ know.” _ She pressed her forehead to Brooke’s and tried to keep herself from shaking. She thought she heard herself whimper again but she honestly wasn’t sure, nor was she certain it meant anything different than the words she was trying to say. “I need you.”

Brooke lifted her chin, forcing her to look up at her, but this time she found it impossible to focus enough to meet Brooke’s gaze. Instead, she settled for trembling against Brooke’s hands as Brooke herself studied her features for a single infinite moment before gently steering her onto her back on the bed, reversing their positions and pressing her lips to Audrey’s in a firm kiss.

Brooke wasted no time, reestablishing her place between Audrey’s legs and finally giving in to Audrey’s desperate request. Audrey wasn’t sure what Brooke had found in her eyes, surely too far blown out to show much of  _ anything _ at the moment, but she couldn’t help feeling like she had passed some sort of test when Brooke pressed her fingers hard against Audrey’s center and slipped into her.

Audrey cried out in a gasp against Brooke’s mouth as relief momentarily flooded her. She pushed her hips forward to frantically search for the rhythm of Brooke’s fingers pumping into her. Chasing relief, she rocked with Brooke’s hand, losing herself in the tightened heat that flared in her abdomen. She fisted a hand in one of Brooke’s pillows, vaguely aware of Brooke’s lips on her cheeks and jaw, the soft whispers guiding her to the edge.

And finally, release. It washed over her in an endless tide of waves that crashed against her before slowly leaving her back against the bed. Her body still buzzed and pulsed all over, even as her head started to clear.  _ “Fuck.” _

Brooke chuckled softly, still pressing soft kisses to her chin and the corner of her mouth.

Audrey finally opened her eyes, looking up at the ceiling as she blinked away trace amounts of moisture from her eyes. “Fuck, Brooke.”

Brooke pulled back finally, just enough to peer down at Audrey with bright eyes, biting her lip against a wide grin. She didn’t even pretend to hide how pleased with herself she was. “You still need a minute?”

“A  _ minute,” _ Audrey replied, still riding the last aftershocks of her climax. “Jesus, Brooke, give me like ten.”

“Well, that’s probably a little excessive, but if you insist.” She rolled her eyes fondly, settling next to her side. “I suppose I can wait for you to pick yourself up off the floor.”

Audrey raised a hand to run it through her hair, taking a deep breath. “In my defense, you never really gave me a chance.”

“Mm, fair,” Brooke mused, slowly tracing patterns around Audrey’s belly button. “But in  _ my  _ defense, what’s a girl supposed to do when she finds herself confronted by a set of abs like that.”

Audrey’s eyebrows shot up and she turned to Brooke, a tentative grin pulling at her lips. “In my defense, I didn’t think you’d notice.”

“Please, who  _ wouldn’t?” _

Feeling more composed, Audrey propped herself up on her elbow, turning to her side so she could reach for Brooke’s waist. She still didn’t really understand what was happening, if this was a single, isolated moment of weakness, or the start of… something else. But she knew that, at least for tonight, she wanted to take advantage of the time she had. She inched closer, nuzzling her nose to Brooke’s in a silent question, who immediately drew her in for another lingering kiss.

A soft moan pressed against Audrey’s lips and it sent a thrill up her spine. From the way Brooke grabbed her hands and pushed them against her own breasts in a wordless request, it looked like they were at least on the same page for the time being.

Which was good. Audrey still had something to prove.

 

* * *

 

For every perfect moment she’d spent between Brooke’s sheets the night prior, the harsh light of day cast a different mood entirely. Not that it was  _ bad, _ not really. It was just… strange. Audrey wasn’t really sure what part she was supposed to play, here.

She woke up next to Brooke, in her arms, the first hint of sunlight starting to crest into view. They had school today, so there definitely wasn’t time to sleep in or even talk about anything. She still had to get back to her own house to shower and get ready, and this didn’t seem like something they could cover in the ten-minute window she had before she needed to be out the door.

Brooke was still mostly asleep, and Audrey had no idea if she was supposed to wake her, so she obviously settled for attempting to pull away as quietly as she could.

The soft hum that followed gave a pretty clear indicator Brooke was now at least a partially more awake. Her eyes fluttered open and landed on Audrey, just as she managed to find her underwear.

“Hey,” Brooke greeted, sleep sitting heavy on her eyelids.

“Uh, hey.” Audrey looked up at her, returning a crooked smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. Um. Again.”

“I should be getting up anyway,” replied Brooke, yawning into the last phrase. “We have that test today in first period.”

“Shit, you’re right,” Audrey swore, halfway through tugging on her shirt. “I totally forgot about that.”

Brooke sat up and stretched her arms over her head, and Audrey blushed and dropped her gaze. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone why.”

Her blush deepened, even though she  _ definitely  _ should have been prepared for Brooke to tease her. “Um. Thanks.”

“So I’ll see you in first period?” Brooke asked, leaning back on her hands, covers pooled around her waist.

Audrey swallowed a dry block in her throat, glancing up at Brooke again. “Yeah, of course. I’ll see you.”

Brooke left her with one last wink before Audrey led herself down to the front door and back to her car. As she replayed last night in her head, all she could decide upon for sure was a sincere thanks to whoeverthefuck that she still had time to shower before her dad woke up.

 

* * *

 

Even though they still seemed to be on speaking terms when Audrey had left Brooke’s house that morning, Audrey felt some kind of tension between them, keeping her away from Brooke that day. She just wished she knew what kind of tension it was, or at the very least if it existed only in her imagination. The day dragged on, and Audrey caught herself stealing glances at Brooke whenever she thought she could sneak it in. (Pro tip: Brooke had some kind of fucking radar for people who had eyes on her.) Still, they didn’t really talk, though wasn’t a much of an opportunity between the math test and study hall, and whenever they weren’t in class they were surrounded the rest of the gang. In other words, definitely not the time or place to have a conversation about how Brooke Maddox had given her the most intense orgasm of her life, and by the way, was she planning on doing that again?

By the time sixth period rolled around, she felt as tightly wound up as she had last night—partly because of the elephant following them around every corner and partly because Brooke had decided today was the day to wear a skirt that barely passed dress code—and she was starting to think she was going to have to corner Brooke in the bathroom to get some kind of answer. She had managed to concoct a decent excuse about needing Brooke’s help with her mascara by the time the final bell rang, but the instant it sounded Brooke was out of her chair and through the door before Audrey even had time to look up from her notebook.

Did that mean she didn’t want to talk? Were they just going to ignore it? If so, they’d probably have to stop their movie dates. 

… Movie hangouts. 

Whatever.

Audrey tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her gut as she packed her bookbag, no longer in any sort of a hurry. She waved to Emma as she headed out as well, and was in the middle of fishing in her backpack for her car keys when her phone went off in her pocket.

_ [3:04] Scream Queen: i’ll see u tonight ;) _

Audrey took a swift check around the parking lot before letting herself grin down at the text, rereading it again. She was about to reply back when another message came through, this time a picture. Brooke had made it to her car already, and had unbuttoned her shirt until the top of her lacy bra was showing as she winked up at the camera.

So,  _ that  _ was pretty clear. This was  _ definitely _ happening. And if Brooke was already willing to flirt like this in a crowded school parking lot in the middle of the day… Audrey didn’t know what she was in for, but she should probably buckle her seatbelt.

But then again, said the quiet voice of reason in her head, this could only turn out one of two ways: either it would be very, very good, or it would be impossibly catastrophic. The smart thing to do would be to go to Brooke’s house and tell her they shouldn’t do this.

Audrey stared down at the picture, her eyes wandering down the valley of Brooke’s neckline, just like her mouth had done barely twelve hours before. There was even a faint, barely noticeable mark to one side, low enough that it had been easily hidden under her blouse. She could hear an echo of Brooke’s response to that mark last night, a lengthy moan that bounced around in her head, over and over again.

_ Fuck. _

In her defense, Audrey never had been one to do the smart thing.

 

* * *

 

Audrey’s head hit Brooke’s pillow, and she heard Brooke’s gasps for breath in time with her own. She wasn’t sure if there was some kind of record for number of orgasms within a twenty-four hour period of time, but damn, she and Brooke were probably in the running to break it.

She cleared her throat as she stared up at Brooke’s ceiling for the second night in a row. “So…”

“We can still be friends,” Brooke replied, not allowing her to even finish her thought. (As if she knew where she was going with that, anyway.)

“Right.” It was probably for the best. Whatever this was, they wouldn’t be giving each other promise rings in the morning. “We shouldn’t tell Emma, right? I mean– anyone, we shouldn’t tell anyone.”

Brooke turned on her side and stared at Audrey with pursed lips, thinking. “Of course. It’ll be our little secret. One I intend to keep as many nights as you can get your ass over here.”

A smirk slowly crept across Audrey’s lips as she leaned forward to meet Brooke again.

Was it smart? Probably not. Did it feel good?  _ Hell yeah _ . Regardless of how they came out at the end of this, maybe it was okay for them to get to be stupid teenagers for once in their god-forsaken lives.

**Author's Note:**

> find us on tumblr @ chiltongirlsdoitbetter and frazernadines if you wanna yell at us


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